Charlie Rangel not pushing Anthony Weiner to get out
By: James Arkin July 24, 2013 11:38 AM EDT

Longtime New York Rep. Charles Rangel said Wednesday he doesn’t think Anthony Weiner should drop out from the race for New York City mayor.

When asked by MSNBC host Richard Lui whether Weiner should get out of the race before the Democratic primary, Rangel, a Democrat, said he didn’t think the public has been heard yet on the issue.

“No, but I think the public hasn’t been heard yet, really, it’s all been newspapers and TV. Nobody that I know understands at all what Anthony Weiner was thinking about,” Rangel said on MSNBC’s “Jansing & Co.” “But as far as him running or not, you know, constitutionally, politically, anyone can run. But knowing New Yorkers as I do, and I do know New Yorkers, this is not going to be a story by the time we get to Sept. 10.”

Despite Weiner acknowledging Tuesday that he continued sexting after his resignation from Congress, Weiner’s wife, Huma Abedin, stood by her husband at the press conference, saying in short remarks that she loved him and believed in him. Rangel called Abedin “a brave lady.”

“I have seen a lot of things like this in politics where male have to lean on his wife for support but I don’t ever recall seeing a wife looking and feeling so sad and embarrassed because Huma is a very private person, a very delicate, sophisticated person,” Rangel said. “And in all the years that I’ve known her, putting her in this political situation, as bright and intelligent as she is, is very awkward. My feelings were all for her in terms of what she felt she had to do for her husband. It’s really a sad day.”